Life is Full of Suprises
by BandGeek99
Summary: Tai was of high nobility. Sora was the Thief Lord, living off the streets. When Tai hears of the Thief Lord, he goes after him. But what happens when the Theif Lord is a girl? And what happens when they fall in love? FYI: Taiora! Rated T for language...he
1. Interesting Findings

Hey there everyone! It hasn't been long, but I've been so hyper and I got the BESTEST story idea! Get this: Medieval Taiora story! Okay, so it's kind of clichéd, but that's okay! I was looking through my now clean room, and I found my favorite book, Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi. That gave me the idea to write this fic. Soooo… I hope you like it!

**Life is Full of Surprises**

**A Taiora fic by the one-and-only BandGeek95**

Chapter One: Interesting Findings…

(SORA'S POV)

I scowled as I wrung out the dirty grey cloak I'd been watching. It was miserable, the weather had been nasty, my mother had died, and the other field workers treated me like a servant. And I was only thirteen years old!

"_Oh, Lord, why me?" _I thought as I stood up and wiped my hands on the side of my brown dress.

No reply. I knew there would never be one, but for some reason I'd hoped I'd see a heavenly angels choir and a divine light, or maybe God telling me it was all just a bad dream.

In frustration, I kicked the space under the chest of drawers, expecting to hit thin air. Instead, my toes hit wood, making my feet sting.

Perplexed, I pulled out the item.

It was a trunk with an open lock.

Now, I was always curious. My mother said that "curiosity" was another name for the Devil, but this time, my feet didn't hurt and I was so puzzled I opened the thing, not knowing what I'd find.

To my surprise, I found a fine royalty-like dress of deep scarlet, a breathtaking assortment of jewelry, and – a gold cross? It had engravings in it that must have been words. I could not read, though, so I decided to take it to Father Rockwood after Mass later that day.

When I hung back, Father looked up.

When he saw me, he smiled weakly. "Is there a problem, child?"

I shook my head and explained the discovery of my cross.

He accepted it and read the engravings. His eyes widened and his face paled. The priest looked up at me again. "I shouldn't tell you this now, but…"

I looked at him expectantly.

"Well, uh, your name is Sora. You have family in the city of Litchburg, and you need to find them. I shouldn't tell you any more."

I stared blankly. All my life I'd been known as Sakura's girl. And now I learn that I have a name? It's all so confusing! Sora is such a grand name for a serf like me. "Whoa, Nellie! Me, a serf, with a name like Sora? Were my parents out of their minds?!"

Father Rockwood shrugged. "I honest to goodness don't think so, but then again that's just me. Now I suggest you get ready to go to Litchburg. It's the only place you'll have a real future."

I nodded, thanked the Father, and ran home as fast as I could. That night I was leaving Fusston forever.

I slipped on the beautiful red dress and my mother's old black cloak. I also packed the jewelry, my old brown dress, and all the food I had left in a small sack and shouldered it.

That night I was leaving the village of Fusston and I was never coming back.

I silently ran down the deserted paths to the wooden bridge crossing the stream. Carefully, I slipped off my shoes and padded across so my steps wouldn't make so much noise. When I reached the path on the other side, though, I slipped them back on and ran further down. I didn't stop running until the faint pink of dawn crept over the trees. That's when I sat down on a fallen log and ate a bit of bread and watered ale.

After my small breakfast I continued east. I was going to Litchburg, and had a long trip ahead of me.


	2. The Thief Lord

(A/N: I know, I know! I took the name "Thief Lord" from Cornelia Funke, but I couldn't think of anything else! I'm not too original with names… Ah, well…enjoy the chappie!)

Chapter Two: Meaning of the Cross

The Thief Lord laughed as he ran through the village of Strafford towards the east. He'd managed to swipe a good amount of money from the steward that lived in the manor. Not to mention a fair sized portion of food…

"Get back here you- you- you Wolf's Head!" the steward cried, running out of his house and onto the street.

Thief Lord nearly froze. Wolf's Head. That was the last straw. But he kept running, knowing that being a wolf's head was as good as being dead.

The village workers ran out to the streets, staring in awe as the notorious thief fled past them, but not trying to follow him.

And that's where the real story begins.

ooo

Hikari watched as her older brother rode into the stables, cursing loudly. Not that it was unusual, of course, but it still disappointed her. "What happened this time?"

Her brother, Taichi, turned around, saw her, and shut up. "Father wants me to marry some- some- some filthy witch!"

Kari gasped. "But you have to! What Father says is law!"

Tai scowled. "I don't care at all! I've met her and she's HORRID!"

Kari sighed. Tai the stubborn one. So typical! "Well, come one! She can't be all that bad!"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Wanna bet? She sent a whole meal to be thrown out because it wasn't 'cooked enough'. It could have fed at least six villagers! But no, she tosses it. I have one thing to say about that: _she's a bitch!_"

Kari knew she wasn't going to win this battle. She never did. "So, work out an agreement with Father!"

Tai blinked, as if the idea had never occurred to him. "Kari, you're a genius!" He hugged her and ran inside, as fast as his boots could carry him.

ooo

Kari sat at her desk, quill poised over the paper as she tried to think of something to write. A drop of ink fell to the parchment and the blot spread.

She watched in fascination, wondering how something so small could grow into something so big. Maybe that's how it is in real life, too, she thought, her mind off in some other galaxy.

And of course, her brother ruins it all.

The door burst open, revealing Tai, his face flushed with excitement. "Hey, Kari! Father says that I don't have to marry her – on one condition, though."

Kari, who had been grinning widely, felt her smile drop off of her face. "Oh, no. What's the condition?"

His eyes twinkled maniacally. "If I can catch the Thief Lord."

She stared. The Thief Lord was said to be an old man, misunderstood by society, who ran across the country side with his band of followers, dressed in a black cloak so dark, nobody had ever seen his face. Of course, this is what people said, so she wasn't sure if it was true or not.

Tai continued. "They said he robbed a village just west of here, leaving with two horses and a load of money. Word got out that he's heading toward Litchburg with his gang. I'm going to go down there with your friend Davis."

She groaned.

Davis was the son of a friend of her father's, and was constantly coming to court her. She liked him, but as nothing more than a friend. He looked up to Tai as if he was a god or something. To be frank, it was getting really annoying.

"We're leaving tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn. I came up to pack and say goodnight."

Kari stood up and ran to her brother, encasing him in a hug and burrowing her face in his chest. "G'night, Tai. I love you."

He smiled warmly and hugged her back. "I love you too, Kari."


	3. The Meeting

**A/N: Hey, it's me! I'm back among the living, so I decided that while I was in writer's mode, I'd update this story. I'm sorry it's taken me so long. I still want to **_**read **_**fan fiction, but I also have school, too. That doesn't leave much time to post and update.**

**Oh. My. God. I just watched "Fever Pitch" twice in one weekend… you have no idea how good that makes me feel... ;-)**

**Ah well. Here's chappie three! Enjoy!**

**Oh, and BTW: Chappie two was supposed to be two years later. I'm sorry I forgot to mention that…**

**Kenny, the disclaimer, por favor.**

**Kenny: (sighs) BandGeek doesn't own Tai or Matt or Sora or Yamato or- you know what? Let me save time… SHE OWNS NO ONE BUT THE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS! There, all done. It kills us to say it, but... eh, c'est la vie.**

**Me: Next time, say it like you mean it!**

**Kenny: (grumbles)**

**Me: I apologize for the inexcusably long wait, and I hope you like it!**

ooo

Sora rode sidesaddle alongside Yamato, aka Matt, in her mother's red dress. She and her band of thieves were within a day's travel of their final destination, and they were riding the stolen horses.

Matt was the son of a duke who had hated his family so much he ran away. He couldn't stand always being cooped up in his room or in his studies or in the manor. He longed for the freedom of the outdoors.

One day, he just couldn't take it. He packed his bags, convinced his brother Takeru, aka TK, to come with him, and ran away from home. He was never going back.

That's when he'd met Sora.

He was quite taken with her at first. He tried to talk with her in town, but she kept turning away and ignoring him. Finally, she was so fed up, she slapped him in the face and flounced away.

Eager, he followed her, TK following behind.

She led him straight to her little camp-out site where there was a small brown dress and black cloak resting on a log, and a brown burlap sack that looked pretty full and pretty heavy.

And, naturally, TK sneezed and gave the whole thing away.

Luckily, Sora was forgiving and let Matt and his brother stay. That is, if they learned the art of burglary.

And then there was Izzy. His real name was Koushiro, and his father used to be a servant to their reining Lord. Izzy learned to read at a young age, which was rare, and was very intelligent.

But once his parents died, he was thrown out of his home and found the small and growing band of thieves.

The other kids in the group were Joe and Mimi. They came from similar situations, and the whole group together made one heck of a team.

Izzy took care of planning with Sora, Joe took care of medical issues, Mimi and TK were there to cause distractions, and Matt was in charge of defense and weaponry. Occasionally he'd be allowed to go out and actually steal something, but not often. And Sora - Sora _was_ the Thief Lord. She was the glue that held the group together. She had everything she wanted (at least, if she wanted it she could steal it…)

But one person knew better. And that one person was Mimi.

ooo

Mimi looked up to Sora. She was ditzy and not very bright, whereas Sora was smart and determined. Mimi may have been attractive, but Sora was gorgeous, something Mimi was convinced she'd never be. But Sora lacked one thing: a person to love.

Every time Mimi looked into her best friend's eyes, they showed loneliness. Mimi was adored by all the men in the group, and even though Sora was respected, she was more like God than a woman. She was alone and unhappy.

"_She needs a boy,"_ Mimi thought sadly, more often than not. _"She can't be satisfied like this."_

And she was right, though Sora didn't let on.

And now Sora was riding along with her gang. It felt good to be on the road.

She sped up, eager to reach her destination.

"Whoa, Sora, slow down! Some of us are on foot, here!" Joe shouted after his leader, jogging to keep up.

She halted her horse and waited for the others. Even though she loved them like her family, they could be more annoying than a mosquito buzzing in your ear.

Matt squinted into the distance, trying to see if there was anything over the distant tree line. He must have spotted something because his eyes went as wide as saucers and he shouted, "HOLY SHIT!"

Some birds in a nearby tree were startled and jumped into the sky like frightened children.

"What is it, Matt?" TK asked moving up to stand next to his brother. "Do you see something?"

"Yeah, I do… SORA!"

Sora, who was trying to see what was over the trees, looked over at Matt. "Whaddya want?"

"How big is Litchburg?"

"I was under the impression that it was relatively small, why?"

"It looks huge from where I am!"

"What?"

Matt opened his mouth to explain, thought better of it, and shut it again. "Never mind. You'll see when we get there."

Sora shrugged. "Come on, guys, we'd better leave now if we want to get there before nightfall. I think it's a ways off."

The other thieves shrugged and followed their leader and second-in-command. The duo would always lead the group in the right direction.

Ooo

Tai shook the hair out of his face and galloped a little further on his black stallion. He wanted to reach Litchburg by nightfall and was unsure of how far he was from his destination.

"Tai, wait up! I can't push her any further," Davis whined from behind him, trying to move his sleepy chestnut mare.

The older boy groaned and halted so that Davis could catch up.

"Do you know how far we are?" Davis asked, curious to see if they would reach the city by day or by night.

"No, I -" Tai was interrupted by the sounds of squabbling up the road. Intrigued, he rode further up and caught a glimpse of two white horses, one with a handsome blonde man on him and one with a beautiful auburn-haired girl on it. There were three pedestrians that seemed to be involved in the whole thing, as well.

"Hurry up," he said to his companion and pushed his horse into a trot.

Davis struggled to keep up with the wild haired heir to a fortune as he ran towards a group of commoners.

Sparks were about to fly.

ooo

Sora was just starting to see the top of the city walls when a voice called, "Hey!"

She halted her horse and turned her head around to see who was talking.

It was a young man about her age with wild hair was riding closer on a stallion black as night, making the duo seem more mysterious. And sexy.

"_What the hell am I thinking?! I must be insane, thinking he's good looking! I can't settle down or fall in love, I don't have the time!" _she thought and tried riding faster.

The mysterious sexy man quickly caught up. "Excuse me, ma'am, but would it be too much trouble for you to slow down for me to speak with you."

She ignored him as the color rose up in her cheeks.

"Please?"

She finally lost it. She halted and yelled, to his face, "Leave me alone!"

The wild haired man lost his chivalric demeanor. "What?! Why? I didn't do anything to you! I was just asking if you wanted an escort for your group."

Matt got a little angry. "Why would we need an escort," he began through gritted teeth, "if I'm here?"

The mystery man shrugged. "There are highway robbers, wild animals, wild men, all those things that one man cannot handle himself."

Sora was stubborn. "Yeah, but he's got me. I can do whatever a man can."

The unfamiliar man nodded. "I never said you couldn't. But there's a man that's said to be moving this way. They call him the Thief Lord, and he roams the countryside with his band of child robbers. It's said he's heading to Litchburg, and that he's armed and dangerous."

Sora and Matt exchanged looks. They hadn't expected anyone to know where they were going.

"Tai! There you are, I thought I'd lost you!" someone cried.

The whole group turned and looked behind Mystery Stallion Man and saw his mini-me galloping up on a mare behind him.

Mystery Stallion Man rolled his eyes and called back, "DAVIS! FOR GOD'S SAKE, SHUT UP!"

The mini-me looked slightly taken aback, but was silent as he caught up with the group. He nodded politely and then said to Mystery Stallion Man, "Are they heading to the city, too?"

Mystery Man gave Sora a look that asked, "Are you going to the city, too?"

Sora nodded and let out a quiet "yes."

This satisfied Mini-Mystery Man. "Okay, so, uh, you don't mind if we stick with you guys, right?"

Mystery Man sighed and shook his head, but Mimi gave Matt and Sora a look that said, "JUST GIVE IN!"

Soon, Sora was heading down the road to the city, never knowing that these people would change her life forever.

000

**Okay, it sucked, I know, but at least I have the characters meeting each other! It's better than I normally have it…**

**Tell me if you have any suggestions – I'll give out digital doughnuts and coffee! (or cocoa, if you prefer…)**

**I lurve you!**

**BANDGEEK**


	4. Inns and Yolie

**Eggs. Rock. The. World. **

**Whoo, I feel a little loopy… I guess it's all of the wrapping I've been doing for Christmas. That can make you a little off in the head… **

**Anywho, I decided that I'd make Ally happy and write this chapter now rather than later. I'm trying not to make this a Crispin clone, though similar events **_**may**_** occur. That's not a promise, just a thought. **

**And I mucked it up. Again. Sora is supposed to be fifteen in chapter one, not thirteen. Heh… glad I cleared that up.**

**Kenny, the disclaimer please!**

**KENNY: (groans) Do I have to?**

**BANDGEEK: (growls) Yes. Now. Say it.**

**KENNY: BandGeek doesn't own anybody except the OCs. She gives credit to Toei. **

**BANDGEEK: Even though they suck for pairing Sora with Matt. I've gotta write a story where that DOESN'T happen…**

**This is also dedicated to Ally and to Josh (only the nicest guy I know and still wanna go out with, even if he has a girlfriend…)**

**Anywayz, ENJOY!**

**000**

Sora dismounted her horse and politely thanked Tai and Davis for escorting them into the city.

The streets were crowded and every so often the stench of human droppings was so overwhelming, one found the need to lose one's lunch. There were vendors everywhere selling things from bread to swords and taverns were situated with about four on each street.

Sora had led her group to one with a white stallion on its sign. She bid Tai and Davis goodbye and entered the building with a confidence that could never be equaled by any man.

Once the group had crowded inside the dingy tavern, Matt switched to leader mode. He strode up to the counter and said, "We need three rooms. Do you have them?"

The barmen eyed the group suspiciously.

"I said," Matt began through gritted teeth, "'do you have them'."

The barmen nodded. "That'll be four pounds."

Matt handed over the money and the barman handed him three keys.

The blonde handed a key to Sora and a key to Joe and the group headed upstairs and into their rooms, Mimi and Sora in one, Joe and Izzy in another, and Matt and TK in the last.

000

As Tai and Davis went through the center of town looking for a tavern to stay at, the bushy haired noble couldn't help but think back to the first time he saw the red-haired girl outside the city.

He was snapped back to attention, though, by Davis who said, "I miss Kari."

Tai remembered that he was here to catch the Thief Lord and his last conversation with Kari. He remembered how much he'd missed her and the pain just tugged at his heart even harder.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Me too, even if she did yell at me most of the time."

Davis grinned. "She yelled at me _all_ the time!"

The bushy haired seventeen-year-old laughed heartily. "It's a wonder she hasn't killed you yet."

The younger boy shrugged, though still smiling. "I'm just so damn _loveable_, that's all."

Memories of Kari and each other were shared as the two searched for a decent inn.

Conversation ceased, however, as the duo approached a tavern with a dummy painted green in front of it.

"Green Man's Tavern," Tai said quietly, halting his horse and dismounting. "My father told me about this place. It's supposed to be very nice, he says her stayed there when he was your age."

Davis looked back at Tai. "Really?"

Tai nodded and entered the tavern, Davis soon running after.

A girl was behind the counter, one with violet hair and glasses. She was cleaning mugs with her apron when the duo came in and was surprised when Tai said, "Excuse me, miss."

She put her mug down and leaned on the counter. "Whaddya want?" she asked. "You don't get nobility every day here."

"We need a room," Tai said casually, flipping a coin up in the air and catching it again.

The girl smiled. "I'm Miyako, but everyone calls me Yolie. How can I help you?"

"Like I said before, we need a room. But we also need someone who knows this city like the back of their hand. Do you know anyone like that?"

Yolie held out her hand. "I'm your girl. Now when do we start?"

000

Kari silently wrapped a scarf around her head and left a note on her bed, reading,

_Mother and Father…_

_I've gone off after Tai. It's been forever since I've seen him and I just can't stay cooped up here much longer. I'm sorry, I'll send you a letter from the city. _

_Goodbye and much love_

_Kari_

She read it over one last time and, after making sure she liked it, picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She quietly climbed out the window and jumped the two feet onto the soft earthy garden.

She made her way into the stables and untied her mother's horse and rode off into the night with Willis, the stable boy, riding beside her.

000

Sora lay awake in bed that night, listening to the gentle sound of Mimi's breathing. She realized for the first time since her mother died that she was really and truly lonely.

For some strange reason she yearned to see Tai again. She was saddened that she only knew his first name and might never see him again.

Meanwhile, several streets away, Tai also lay awake, listening to the obnoxious sound of Davis' snoring. He missed his sister and was disheartened that he might never see Sora again and had no way of contacting her, since he only knew where she was staying; she might leave the next day.

He was also deeply cheerless about the fact that he didn't know where to find the Thief Lord. That was the only reason he had come to the city and he might not leave it for a long time. That meant staying longer than anticipated and his family might be fearful of his fate. They might think he was dead already…

He fell into an uneasy sleep, and, streets away, so did Sora.

000

**Okay. There, it's done (finally). **

**KENNY: Took you long enough.**

**ME: (hits Kenny with a skillet) Oi vey…**

**Anyways, make my day and REVIEW, dammit!**

**Luv you!**

**BANDGEEK**


	5. The Manor House

**Dun-dudududuuuuuuuun! It's… BANDGEEK! Yay!**

**So, how was everyone's Christmas? Good, I presume? Yes, no, maybe? **

**Anyway, I've decided to update this so that poor Ally doesn't freak out at me. That's the LAST THING I want to happen… (that doesn't mean I don't love you Ally!)**

**Be sure to have a happy 2008 and wish me luck with my New Year's resolution – to get an actual tan and look nice this summer. (groans) IT DRIVES ME INSANE!!!!!**

**My fav radio station is playing the top 100 songs of 2007 today and tomorrow. I hope that the Killers and/or Paramore and/or the Silver Sun Pickups make it on there! I LOVE those bands!**

**Anyway, (again) I'm very proud to present Life Is Full Of Surprises – chapter five.**

**ENJOY!**

**000**

**Dedicated to my reviewers, especially Bldlf who has reviewed every one of my chapters for every one of my stories. Also, this is dedicated to Ally and to Becka.**

**I don't own the DigiDestined and/or all related characters. (If I did, do you honest-to-God think that the series would have ended Sorato? Or that I'd actually be WRITING FANFICTION???!!! You know, I think I would, sadly… eh, c'est la vie, right?)**

**000**

Sora awoke to the sight of a bedraggled Mimi standing over her, a concerned look on her face. "Huh… Mimi, what happened? Why do you look like that?"

"Matt got into a fight with the bartender and he can barely move!"

"Which one, the bartender or Matt?"

"THE BARTENDER!!!!"

"Oh." Sora realized that they'd have to find another inn before the barman came to. "This is pretty bad…"

"Uh, DUH!!!! What do you THINK?! We've gotta move _now_, get up and dressed!" Mimi urged, shoving her's and Sora's belongings into a sack.

Sora groggily readied herself and groaned inwardly at Matt. How could he have been so _stupid_? He could be a bit of a hot-head at times.

TK knocked gently. "Are you both decent?"

"No, TK, but you can come in anyway," Mimi joked.

"Come on!"

"Okay, okay. We're decent, you may come in," Mimi said, shoving a hairbrush into her bag.

TK opened the door slowly and stepped in. "The barkeeper woke up but Joe knocked him out again. We've gotta leave soon."

Sora nodded and Mimi said, "Mm-hm, we'll be right out."

Sora slid on her shoes, passed TK, and ran downstairs.

Matt, Joe, and Izzy were sitting around a table in the dining room, the barman near their feet.

The old man certainly looked as though he'd been in a fight.

His clothes were bloody from the blood that had come streaming from his nose and he had a black eye. His arm was bent awkwardly, meaning that it had been broken.

"YOU IDIOT!" she roared, storming towards Matt.

She grabbed his lapel and slapped him across the face. "WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO SOMETHING SO FREAKIN STUPID?! ARE YOU MENTALLY RETARDED OR SOMETHING?!" 

"N-no, but-"

"NO BUTS!" she screamed.

"Sora, calm down!" Izzy exclaimed, standing up and knocking over his chair.

Sora's disgusted expression didn't change, but she grudgingly let go of Matt and shoved him back into his chair. "Are you all packed?" she asked quietly.

The group nodded collectively.

"The horses are loaded, too," Joe added.

"Good. Get TK and Mimi. We're outta here."

000

THAT NIGHT…

Sora felt her chest threatening to rip the seams on her old brown dress. _"Jeez,"_ she thought. _"I must have been tiny when I was younger…"_

Matt whistled lowly, looking his leader over. The dress was way too tiny now, though Sora refused to believe it. It was short too – it only reached her knees, unlike when she had started out and it reached just above her ankles. Being small, it also accentuated her petite frame.

"Oh, shuddup," she scowled.

He did.

Sora glared at him and tied her cloak around her. She pulled up the hood and said, "Everyone ready to go?"

The rest nodded and Sora led the way. She didn't know the city well, but she knew exactly how to walk in the shadows and find a decent looking place to rob.

"Psst!" Matt whispered. "Look!"

Sora looked at the building her back was to and realized that it was a manor house. A _big_ manor house.

A grin spread across her face and she made a signal to the group that they were raiding the manor.

Izzy came up with some quick plans and Sora went to work.

She made her way out a half an hour later with two large bags full to the brim and a solemn face.

"Wow, look at this loot, we're gonna live like – Sora what's wrong?" Matt asked, seeing the look on Sora's distressed face.

"It's – it's my father's house."

"What?"

"I'm a noble."

000

**HA! Cliffy – want some ice for that buuuuuurn?! Just kidding, guys, I didn't mean that the way it sounded.**

**MAYBE it's not much of a cliffy, but its close, right? How's Matt gonna react? What's Sora gonna do? Is Tai gonna find her again? Buh nuh na nuh!**

**Heh heh heh… I hope you enjoyed this, and if you have a review that IS NOT a flame (and I REPEAT, NO FLAMES!!!!!), please submit it. I love hearing your thoughts! **

**So, until next time,**

**BANDGEEK**


	6. Of Robberies and Sisters

**Muahahaha! I'm back in black and ready to kill!**

**Just kidding, just kidding! I don't wanna kill anybody, though I'm scary enough…**

**Oi, (bangs head on keyboard) I've gotta get back into author's mode… That might be helpful. Author's mode… yeah, author's mode…**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

**Dedicated to Kenny, my good friend. May she make many new friends in her new home town.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anybody except for the Original Characters. And I don't own the song Yolie sings ("Love So Pure" by Puffy Ami Yumi), either.**

**Like I said – enjoy!**

**000**

**I have a quiz up now! See how well you know my stories at…**

http/ **Have fun! And make sure you read all of my stories and pay close attention to author's notes and such – you'll need it.**

**000**

THE NEXT DAY

Davis removed his nightshirt and started to put on the peasant's tunic that

Tai had shoved at him. "Remind me again, why are we doing this?"

Tai groaned and began to pull up a pair of trousers. "I _told_ you! We're going 

out to see if we can find any mentions of robberies."

"But why do we need to dress up in the peasant clothes again?"

"If we don't," Tai began, grabbing his companion by the collar, "we'll look

conspicuous. Do you want that?"

"N-no," Davis answered automatically, not wishing to face the wrath of Tai.

"Then get dressed," the older boy growled through gritted teeth.

Davis did as he was told.

000

The two of them went downstairs a little bit later to find Yolie making dough of some sort, singing quietly under her breath, _"We've got a love so pure, yes a love so sure. The kind of love you hold so tight… We've got a love so pure, yes a love so sure. The kind of love that lasts a girl for life."_

"Hey, Yolie!" Davis said brightly. "Watcha singing?"

"Um, nothing," she replied, blushing and wiping her floury hands on her apron. She leaned on the counter as the boys sat down at a nearby table. "So what do you want for breakfast?"

"Um, porridge, I guess," Tai said.

"Do you have any fruit?" Davis asked hopefully.

"I have a couple of apples. You can help yourself," she replied, tossing him one.

"Thanks!"

They sat and chatted for a while until Tai dropped his spoon into his empty dish and said, "Yolie, have there been any recent robberies?"

Yolie thought for a moment, leaned up against the counter she'd been cleaning, and said, in a low voice, "You know what? There was. Last night, the Thief Lord guy snuck into Takenouchi Manor. I'll show it to you later," she added, noticing the confused looks on the visitors' faces. "Anywho, apparently, the two had a talk. The Thief guy apparently knows where Takenouchi's long lost daughter is. So the Lord gives the thief money and the dude runs off."

"That's not a robbery!" Davis whined, dropping the core of his apple onto the table.

"But Daisuke! It's the Thief Lord, the guy we're looking for!" Tai said, leaning over the table. "If we get him, I don't have to get married!"

"So that's what this is about?" Yolie asked, looking confused.

"Not entirely. I don't wanna marry this girl that my father wants me to, and so he and I agreed that if I catch the Thief Lord, then I don't have to marry her. It shouldn't be too hard. After all, I have Davis to take the blame for me if anything goes wrong."

"Whaaaa!"

Yolie laughed. The two were just a couple of regular guys who happened to be idiots as well.

"We'll have to look all over the place if we wanna find him," Tai said, now suddenly serious.

"Where should we go first?" Davis asked, now concerned too.

"Stake out the manor house!" Tai and Yolie said together.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know that… um…" Yolie said, blushing.

"You didn't know that _I_, sweet, dorky Tai, was the criminal mastermind?" he asked, eyebrow cocked.

She nodded, red faced.

He laughed. "It's okay! Nobody ever thinks of me as a criminal mastermind. After all, I'm an idiot. It's only natural, eh?" He leaned more towards Yolie and quietly added, "Davis, though, he really is an idiot."

"HEY!"

Yolie laughed. "Well, I guess we'd better get going. I'll get my sister to run the inn for the day. Onwards!"

000

"Where is she?" Matt demanded, pacing. "She said she'd be back in less than an hour!"

TK, Mimi, Joe, and Izzy sat alongside the wall of an inn, the "Green Man" or something of the sort. Mimi was experimenting with her hair, Izzy was playing with dirt, TK sat motionless with his head in his hands, and Joe was making a tower of rocks. Needless to say they were very bored.

"It's been forty minutes, Matt," TK said dully, blinking. "She still has twenty minutes left."

"Ugh, this heat is _killing_ my hair," Mimi complained, holding it up in a high bun.

"Aw, quit your whining," Joe snapped. The heat of the midday sun was making him irritable. 

"Willis, I swear to God, if you touch my arm one more time, I'm going to _kill_ you!" a young lady's voice demanded.

Out of the crowd, two young people around TK's age appeared, one, a girl and the other a boy.

The girl had shoulder length brown hair, fair skin, and brown eyes with a tint of red. She was fairly short and was wearing a dress that was a light yellow with pink lace.

Her companion was blonde, tall, and had blue eyes. He looked like her servant or something.

"Sorry, Kari, but you were about to fall into a pile of horse crap, I didn't want you to ruin your dress!" he said, looking slightly taken aback by her harsh words at his saving her dress from horse poo.

TK couldn't take his eyes off of her and was rather surprised when she approached the group.

Matt stopped pacing. "Can we help you?"

"Yes, I was wondering if you've seen a certain Taichi Yagami around anywhere?" she asked politely.

"I think he was the guy with the mini-me that was with us on our way into the city. Didn't he drop us at the first inn we were at?" Izzy said, looking up from his leaning tower of dirt.

"Did he have hair in the shape of a bush, a black stallion, and a sweet but slightly obnoxious persona?" the girl asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Matt replied.

"I'm his sister, Hikari Yagami. This is my companion Willis. We're trying to find Tai and his friend Daisuke."

"I'm not sure where they are, but if you'd like, you can stay with us for the day and we'll see if they're anywhere near where we're staying," Joe suggested, standing up.

"That would be-" Willis began, but was cut off by Kari who said, "That'd be absolutely lovely."

TK was secretly pleased. He was rather taken with Hikari. "That settles it then. Let's go."

The group began to make their way towards the manor house, hoping to catch Sora as she left.

Conveniently, she was leaving just as the group approached the manor, her face slightly pink with pleasure that she had family and that someone truly did want her around.

"Hey, guys, guess what? The guy's offering you jobs!" she cried happily, running towards her friends. Then she noticed Kari and Willis. "Um, hi?"

"Hello," Kari said warmly and Willis half-smiled and waved. "I'm Hikari, but everyone calls me Kari. We're looking for my brother Taichi and his friend Davis."

Sora's eyes widened in realization: they were going to search for Tai. The one guy she wanted to see, but didn't want to see at the same time. _"Damn me and my stupid womanly needs,"_ she thought.

Short introductions were made and the gang made their way aimlessly down the street.

000

**I was gonna make this longer, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Sorry!**

**I'm going to go work on the next chapter of "Duchess" just for you, my loyal fans!**

**Peace out, party on.**

**--BANDGEEK--**


	7. Knives, Crushes, and Meetings, Oh My!

**This. Is. Absolutely. Insane. I HAVE TOO MUCH FREE TIME! DAAAAH! I didn't know that was possible! I guess since I had to drop out of the play I was in (for various reasons), I've been sitting at my old Dell computer, reading and typing. And eating COOKIES!! Was that a good idea? You know what Davis says! "When in doubt, deny deny deny!" **

**SHIGURE: In fact, people used to call me, Aayame, and Hatori the Three Musketeers!**

**TOHRU: (looks excited) Did they really?!**

**KYO: More like the Three Idiots…**

**YUKI: How did Hatori put up with you for so long?**

**I CREDIT THE ABOVE DIALOUGE TO… Fruits Basket Episode 14!**

**Oh my God, I'm twitching. Too much Diet Coke and TEA!! Heh heh heh… It was apple cinnamon and delicious. (twitches) I feel like Becka when she's had a can of Monster… THAT I wouldn't wish upon anyone. WELL, I'll type the chapter now and get my hyper energy onto the keyboard.**

**Thanks to the Deimon Commander from Hell and thanks to my history teacher who tought us about the Middle Ages.**

**I'd also like to thank ALL THE READERS for keeping with this, because I know it took forever for this update.**

**Enjoy!**

**000**

Tai and Davis were standing in a weaponry shop, examining various daggers and swords. (Yolie was out buying some food and a necklace she'd been saving for.)

Tai lifted up a sword, examining it closely. Its hilt was made of steel, a serpent winding around it with emerald eyes. The blade was long and well made, but Tai put it down. The snake on the hilt was a little weird to him.

Davis, on the other side of the shop, had found a simple knife. It was made of steel, like many knives and daggers, but the blade had writing in it. However, the piece of weaponry was older, probably twenty or thirty years. The metal was caked with dirt and – it scared Davis slightly – blood. "Hey, Tai, come here for a second."

The older teen put down the weapon in his hand and went to look at the knife Davis had. "What? It's just an old knife."

"Can you read this?" Davis asked, pointing at the writing.

Tai took the knife, grabbed a corner of his shirt, and rubbed at the grime for what seemed like forever. "I think it says 'Courage is just standing up to Fear.'"

"Oh, I thought it might have said something cooler, like, 'Daisuke is the biggest, baddest, best fighter in the whole world'!"

"Sure, Pansy. Very funny. You couldn't be an amazing fighter even if you tried!"

"I resent that!"

"No, you resemble that!"

"Shut up, Tai, you buffoon! I would have thought you would have been nicer to Davis!"

The two quarreling boys looked to the doorway of the shop where Kari stood, a hand on her hip and a smirk on her face.

"Kari!" they both exclaimed.

She grinned and ran to hug her brother tightly. "Tai, I missed you so much! I was so worried; it took you so long to get here!"

"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?" Davis asked grouchily from next to the siblings.

"Yes," Kari replied simply, then laughed at the astounded look on his face and hugged him. "I'm just playing with you, I kinda missed you too."

Davis snorted. "Yeah, kinda."

There was laughter from the doorway and the two boys noticed a small group of people. They recognized Willis as the stable boy from their manor, and the others were still familiar.

"Hello, Taichi, remember us?" the blonde male said, overconfidently making his way into the room.

"Yes, but I don't believe I told you my name, nor you told me yours," Tai replied, cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh, you told us your name. Remember? That other guy hollered your name."

"Oh. Yeah. Well, would you care to introduce yourselves?"

"Sure. My name's Yamato Ishida, but everyone calls me Matt. My little brother is…" Matt looked through the group clustered outside. "TK! Get over here!"

A miniature version of Matt emerged through the door, bowing to the noble boy, and saying, "My name is Takeru Ishida. Please call me TK, if you'd like."

Kari giggled and Davis turned a bright red color.

TK smiled warmly and approached Kari. He kissed her hand and said, "It's lovely to meet a girl as beautiful as you."

She smiled back and blushed. Tai and Davis were, understandably, slightly annoyed.

One by one, the others were introduced.

"My name is Mimi," Mimi gushed, smiling flirtatiously at Tai.

"Hello, Mimi," he replied, unsure of what to say.

Izzy stepped out, bowed low, and said quietly, "Hello. My name is Koushiro Izumi, but you're welcome to call me Izzy."

"Nice to meet you, Izzy," Tai replied, bowing as well.

"And I'm Sora," Sora said, curtsying. She swept her gown out in front of her in a circular motion.

Tai looked at her with a coy smile. She was simple but beautiful.

Kari's eyes furrowed slightly. "Didn't Father say something about a woman in red when-?"

Davis clamped his head over Kari's mouth. She was going to give them all away, and they just couldn't have that! "Ix-nay on the ing-thay," he hissed.

She bit his hand, causing him to let go.

"Ow…" he said, rubbing his hand.

"I'm going to buy this one," Tai said to the store clerk, holding up the knife with the writing.

"Aye, sir. That'll be five pounds."

The brunette handed over the money and slid the knife into his boot. "Off we go, Daisuke, Hikari. It was a pleasure meeting all of you," he said, suddenly directing his attention towards the group.

"I hope we can meet again," Sora said politely with a huge smile on her face.

"Me, too," he replied and took his leave.

"That girl's so cute," TK said quietly, partially astonished. He always knew of beautiful women, like Sora and Mimi and the princess, but none ever appealed to him. And all of a sudden, this girl comes waltzing in and he's like a lovesick puppy dog!

Matt smiled a small half-smile and gazed down at his thirteen year old brother. He was growing up. Too fast, for his big brother's liking. _"I guess there's nothing I can do,"_ the seventeen year old thought sadly.

"I'm hungry," Mimi whined. "Let's eat before I faint."

"Fine," the group muttered and slowly headed down the street.

"We have enough money to rent rooms for about a month," Izzy said, "but we can't spend much on food. Sorry, Mimi, I guess that means that your stuck with-"

"Peasant food," she grumbled.

Mimi's situation wasn't that different from Izzy's, except for the fact that her father had been a governor across the ocean. He'd made plenty of money… until a ship he was captaining took over and tossed him over the side of the vessel, never to be seen again. When Mimi lost her money she packed what she could and left home, coming upon Sora, TK, and Matt not long after. She loved finery… after all, that's what she had, growing up.

"You'll live, Mimi," Sora said. "Now come on, I want some bread."

After they'd bought a cheap lunch of bread and some sort of paste to go with it from an old Italian peddler, they went back to the inn.

Mimi and Sora were up in their room talking.

"So that Lord guy is your father?" Mimi asked.

"Yeah, but my mom said that he'd gone far away. I'd assumed she'd meant that he'd died and gone to heaven, but she really meant that'd he'd gone far away." Sora laughed bitterly.

"So… why'd he leave your mother and you if he just wanted to see you again?" Mimi asked curiously.

"He wouldn't tell me. I guess that maybe I'm illegitimate or something," she said, shrugging as she pushed her bangs out of her eyes.

Mimi gasped. "Illegitimate? Do you really think so?"

"I don't know, Mimi, I just said that!"

She nodded and smiled. "Hey, I get it now!"

Sora rolled her eyes at her friend's pineapple moments.

"So are you going to ask him when you go to see him tomorrow?"

"I was planning on it."

"And you really got us all jobs?"

"Yeah, I'm going to ask if I can have you as my personal maid."

Mimi squealed with delight. "Yay!"

"And I can probably get Izzy a job as a book keeper or something."

"He'd love that," Mimi gushed. "Sora, you're just so nice to us!"

"A Thief is only nice to other Thieves."

"Oh, that's right! Are you going to keep being Thief Lord?"

Sora sighed. "Well, we don't need to be thieves anymore."

Mimi nodded, and then looked confused. "Why not?"

"We stole to live, we lived to steal. Not anymore, since we have a free ride off Lord- I mean, Father." The word still sounded funny in her mouth.

"Oh… but you know what they say, old habits die hard."

"We'll make it, Meems," Sora said, smiling encouragingly.

She grinned too. "Yeah, we will!"

At least… they thought.

**000**

**Short filler chapter. I'm sorry! (bows) I promised I'd put up another chapter of a story when I got back, and I got back yesterday, so… yeah. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this!**

**Press the purdy purple button and tell me what you think!**

**--BANDGEEK--**


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